Byo to unleash night municipal cops on vendors

BULAWAYO City Council (BCC) is contemplating unleashing municipal police on night patrol duties to flush out vendors, who avoid paying vending fees by selling their wares at undesignated sites after hours.

BY ALEXIS SIBANDA/TALENT GUMPO

Council has been involved in running battles with illegal vendors, who have since started plying their trade after 5pm when municipal security have knocked off.

Speaking in an interview, Ward 1 councillor Mlandu Ncube said vendors were taking advantage of the fact that council does not have a 24-hour service at the moment.

“The issue of unlicensed vendors has really gotten out of hand in the central business district and they know that we do not have 24-hour service, hence, there is an increase in number of vendors working during the night. As council, we aim to clear such vending,” he said.

Ncube said selling from car boots was becoming popular because it was easier for them to flee from council security personnel that
way.

“They know that what they are doing is wrong, that is why whenever they see our security details, they run away. We are in the process of coming up with ways of dealing with such tendencies,” he said.

Latest council minutes on housing and community services showed that as on February 8, only 1 978 of the 7 000 registered vendors had renewed their licences as at December 31, 2017.

Council advised vendors to renew their vending licences annually.

Meanwhile, licensed traders have complained about lack of action by council against illegal traders at the vending sites, saying there was no point of paying licence, as their business has been taken away by illegal traders.

Mlandu Ncube, its not only barbaric to unleash your ‘dogs’ to citizens trying to erk out a living in these hard economic times. My suggestion is engage them until a win-win solution is found. However if you are hellbent on umleashing municipal security why not lead the troops yourself so your image personal safety and relations with those vendors is in direct line of fire. So many ‘Chefs’ have gotten away with ‘murder’ just by issuing orders which the illadvised security services follow hook line and sinker. As for the affected vendors get details of those perpetrating (security personnel) and sue them in their personal capacities.

NCUBE pliz give others chance to raise school fees for their children .You are more than SMITH IAN. Why are you wasting resources by paying security personnel over time for doing nothing. Shame on you .